


Failure

by JAKQ7111, LuckyNumber78



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Wild Force
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 14:16:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAKQ7111/pseuds/JAKQ7111, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyNumber78/pseuds/LuckyNumber78
Summary: Occurs after episode 13





	

_ “How could I be so weak?  I don’t deserve to be a ranger.  The Bear Zords...they trusted me...I failed them just like I failed you.” _

 

These words echoed through Taylor Earhardt’s head as she returned to the Animarium following her defeat at the hands of Zen-Aku.  Just hours after the battle ended, her physical injuries were beginning to heal, but her heart still broke.  She lost the Bear Zords, and she almost lost her beloved princess.

 

She sat at the stone table and sighed deeply, steadying herself. She would not allow herself to linger further on thoughts of her failure. Failure. She was not a person used to failure, and yet, images of the day’s events stuck in her mind, vivid and painful as the sting in her right pointer finger. She placed her hands on the table and extended the digit. Not broken. 

 

Not that it would have mattered much with her accelerated ranger healing. But that wouldn’t help the hurt weighing heavy on her heart.

 

“Taylor,” a soft voice called her name, as insistent for attention as it was regal.

 

Taylor’s raised her head slowly, the voice stirring her out of reverie.

 

“Princess Shayla,” she acknowledged, a quirk of relief tugging her lips downward in a frown that had been meant to be a smile.

 

Shayla stood near the stone wall, straight and tall, her hands clasped earnestly.

 

Shayla’s brow furrowed with concern for the ranger, but she said nothing. Instead, she beckoned with a tilt of her head and a broad sweep of her arm for Taylor to follow her.

 

Wordlessly, the yellow ranger rose and joined the princess.

 

Taylor abandoned her military erectness, leaning her head against the stone. Shayla reached for the ranger’s hand but did not take it.

 

Taylor closed the distance, clasping the princess’ fingers gently. Looking at their hands, she choked back a sudden, heavy sob.

 

“Taylor,” Shayla murmured again, not hearing or, perhaps, ignoring the restrained sound, “would you join me, tonight?”

 

Taylor nodded, raising red-rimmed eyes to Shayla’s. 

 

“Of course,” she replied simply, but her tone was joyless.

 

Shayla lead Taylor to a simple but elegant bower, strewn with white flowers. Taylor knew this place well. This was where Shayla slept, had learned, in Taylor’s arms, not to resent sleep after 3,000 long years of it, and was where, in the gathering dusk, Shayla drew Taylor close.

 

Taylor’s strong arms wound around the other woman’s slim middle. Shayla raised soft palms to Taylor’s cheeks, dainty fingertips feeling small, receding wounds. Shayla tilted her head toward the ranger’s, her soft breath falling over Taylor’s lips, sending Taylor reeling with the scent of lavender. But Taylor did not take the proffered kiss.

 

“Why?” Taylor asked simply.

 

“Why?” Shayla returned, too dazed to process the syllable.

 

“Why did you leave me? After the battle.”

 

“I didn’t go far,” Shayla cooed.

 

“But you went,” Taylor insisted. “You left Cole to comfort me and you left.”

 

“Cole has a strong heart, Taylor. He’s good and brave, and-”

 

Taylor grasped Shayla by the shoulders. It was all she could do not to shake the woman she cared so deeply for.

 

“He’s not you, Princess Shayla. He wasn’t there.”

 

She paused, and there was no rejoinder.

 

“I didn’t promise to protect him,” Taylor said sullenly.

 

Unbidden, as tears most often are, Taylor’s started again. She dropped her arms to her sides, helplessly.

 

Shayla hushed Taylor, wiping a stray tear from the other woman’s cheek.

 

“Let’s not talk about that,” Shayla whispered.

 

Taylor nodded, eyes on the ground.

 

Shayla raised Taylor’s chin with two fingers. For a moment, Taylor looked, bleary-eyed, into Shayla’s saucer eyes.

 

“I love you,” Taylor mumbled.

Shayla simply smiled and pressed her lips to Taylor’s, kissing her gently. Shayla draped an arm around Taylor’s shoulder as Taylor pressed closed to her, intensifying the kiss, and unconsciously bringing her hand to Shayla’s cheek.

 

Taylor kissed her again, harder this time, and Shayla sighed with pleasure, enjoying the closeness of the ranger and the tenderness of her affection.

 

Taylor’s mind was full of desperation, her kisses full and longing, her hands aching to touch every inch of the princess. As if that would quell Taylor’s swirling mind.

 

Shayla pulled away from a particularly passionate kiss and knelt amongst the flower petals. At the princess’ gesture, Taylor joined her. 

 

Shayla removed Taylor’s jacket and shirt. A long wound, closed up, ran from the top of her pants-line to where her black bra began to cover. 

 

Shayla lay a gentle kiss on the spot, a twinge of guilt telling her the scar had been won in her honor.

 

Taylor leaned her head back. Shayla knew her sweet spots exactly.

 

Shayla leaned forward in turn, kissing at Taylor’s neck.

 

Taylor pulled back.

 

“No,” Taylor exclaimed. “No, no!”

 

Shayla practically leapt away.

 

“What’s the matter,” she asked. “Are you hurt? Am I hurting you?”

 

Taylor looked at Shayla with pained eyes.

 

“Please tell me.”

 

Shayla did not ask for elaboration.

 

She stood, facing away from Taylor.

 

“I forgot.”

 

The princess sighed, looking up into the sunlight.

 

Taylor rose to her feet, standing behind her princess.

 

“You forgot?” She prompted gently.

 

“You’re mortal, and I’m…” Shayla trailed off with a shrug.

 

Taylor paused a moment. So that was it.

 

Taylor ran a thumb over Shayla’s fine, delicate shoulder.

 

“A beautiful woman.” Taylor whispered. “The  _ most  _ beautiful woman.”

 

Shayla turned, her heart thumping hard.

 

Taylor’s beauty took her breath away as it always did.

 

“I can’t lose you,” breathed Shayla.

 

“Love me now,” Taylor urged.

 

Shayla searched Taylor’s face, finding only earnest devotion.

 

“I do love you, Taylor. That’s the problem.”

 

Shayla walked away again. There was no point in hurting herself for some gratification, pleasure, and even love in the now.

 

“Wait!”

 

Taylor’s clear voice pierced the lonely bower.

 

Shayla did not turn.

 

“I’m sorry. Sorry I failed you.” Taylor’s resolve crumbled and she began to cry again.

 

Shayla closed her eyes. She willed herself not to go back. To give the yellow ranger some time. But she could not resist.

 

“You did everything in your power,” Shayla assured her.

 

“Then why? Why are you acting so distant? It’s so unlike you.” Taylor moaned the last, unable to keep the hurt from her voice, through her tears.

 

“I’ve loved before, Taylor. Loved, and lost. Every memory will be with me for a thousand lifetimes. I can’t love like that again.”

 

Taylor balled her fists.

 

“Don’t you?”

 

Shayla turned.

 

“I could, but I can’t. I do, but I must not.”

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

Something in Taylor’s fire warmed Shayla’s heart. She went back to Taylor and hugged her tightly, pressing her head to Taylor’s heart.

 

Shocked by the suddenness of this turn, Taylor did not immediately respond.

 

“My lover, long ago… He was just like you. Stubborn. Protective. Kind to a fault.”

 

Taylor did not interrupt. Shayla looked into her eyes for approval, for love. She found both. She continued.

 

“When the Animarium fell, he believed he had failed me. In his self-contempt, he shut himself off, and never forgave himself, or gave me the opportunity to forgive him. Not that I needed to.”

 

Shayla sighed and absently stroked Taylor’s blonde locks.

 

“It isn’t exactly fair,” Shayla continued, “but when you blamed yourself so deeply for what happened, I could feel a need to protect myself. I didn’t want to hurt for you like I hurt for him long ago.”

 

Taylor thought for a moment.

 

“It’s our responsibility,” Taylor mused, “as Guardians of the Earth, to be there for you. We love you. I know I do. It’s my duty to make you as happy-”

 

Here Shayla laughed slightly, but not dismissively.

 

“As happy,” Taylor continued emphatically, “as a mortal can. Your feelings are my purview, ma’am.”

 

Shayla smiled.

She kissed Taylor’s cheek, then nestled her face into the crook of the other woman’s neck.

 

“I love you,” she said, the words meaning “I’m here.”

 

“Yeah,” Taylor said. “You, too.” And Taylor meant the same thing.


End file.
